Manchester United is planning to re-sign Alvaro Fernandez, the young left-back who was sold to Benfica in the summer of 2024. This move comes as MU faces a severe personnel crisis in the left-back position due to injuries to key players.
Since the start of the season, manager Erik ten Hag has been unable to use his two main left-backs, Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia, both of whom are sidelined with long-term injuries. This situation has forced him to deploy Diogo Dalot in the left-back position, while new signing Noussair Mazraoui has taken on the right side.
However, Mazraoui’s health issues have worsened as he recently underwent heart surgery and may be out for an extended period. This means Dalot will have to return to the right side, leaving MU again short on options at left-back.
According to sources from TEAMtalk, MU has identified Alvaro Fernandez as a potential solution to their left-back woes. Fernandez was a member of Manchester United from 2020 before being sold to Benfica in the summer transfer window of 2024. Prior to that, he had been on loan at Benfica during the second half of the 2023/24 season and had made a strong impression.
Notably, MU included a buy-back clause worth £7 million in the transfer agreement with Benfica. This clause allows them to bring Fernandez back to Old Trafford as early as January 2025, and the club is seriously considering activating this option.
Alvaro Fernandez has shown significant improvement over the past year after a rocky start to the 2023/24 season while on loan at Granada. However, his performances have been stellar since joining Benfica, attracting the interest of several major clubs, including Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Juventus.
With a buy-back price of £7 million, MU has a substantial advantage in the race to reacquire Fernandez compared to those strong competitors. Not only could he serve as a short-term fix for the left-back position, but he also has the potential to be a long-term solution for MU’s lineup. This makes activating the buy-back clause for Fernandez a promising move, especially amid the current injury crisis facing the team.
Bringing Fernandez back could provide much-needed balance to the club’s defense and alleviate pressure on Erik ten Hag, who is grappling with numerous challenges this season.